The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1887-09-01


come by different route, joined
him with his wife, and were driven
from Norfolk to Pendleton, S. G.
While on the road Mr.. and Mrs.
Van Wyck were carrying on CONVEX
sation in.French and German until
Gibson told them that if they wish
ed him not to understand they must
use some other language. This led
to inquiry, and Mr.. Van Wyck dis
covered that this boy coachman, was
a scholar, and, though coachman,
was treated as one. A white SER
want was somewhat unusual in the
south at that time, and Mr.. Van
Wyck's driver excited a good deal
Of attention, especially as he always
had book with him, and would
spend his time reading while those
he drove were visiting. That Glib
son was strongly attached TO his en-
ployer and his family is seen in the
revered way he speaks of them in a
book written after his escape from
the Dutch in Sumatra. In this book,
written in the prison of Weltevre-
den, he makes the following re-
marks on his boyhood in South
Carolina.
"Fhe region of country in which
dwelt, the upland border Of the
state, is chosen spot of nature to
foster the ardor of young thoughts
of novel and lofty enterprise.
There are no groupings of earth and
wood and streams that offer wilder
and richer pictures that can be seen
among the windings of the Keowee,
so deeply frnged with borders of
laurel and muscadlne. On the Wild
Wolf creek, from the mighty beetl-
ing crags Of table rock, in the sweet
valley of Jacossee, on Horseshoe
Chauga, famed in Kennedy's ro-
nance, and then beyond Tagaoo in
the Currahee, in the rich beauty of
the leaping liquid silver of TaIlula
and Toccoa, and this as a post of
wild and lovely wales and frowning
peaks and shining streams, in this
Switzerland of America were the
scenes of my early dreaming.
Gibson remained in Anderson
county for about ten years, and
during that time he taught in the
family of his employer for about
three years. He afterward married
daughter of Mr.. Jesse Lewis, Of
the Sandy Springs neighborhood.
lie speaks very fondly of his love
for this fair, gentle girl, whom he
welded "long ere | was a man."
After his marriage he taught school
both in Anderson and Pendelton,
but teaching was not much to his
taste. lie longed for adventure and
spent much Of his time wandering
over hills searching for the silver
mines of the Indians. He found
some silver, but not great deal.
After his wife died he ran boat
for short while on the Savannah
river. His wife bore him three
children, two sons and daughter,
and died about 1913, and now lies
buried in the old Lewis family bury
ing-ground near the old homestead. |
Gibson always visits his wife's grave
when he returns to America.
There was some difference of
opinion regarding the character of
the man, though the great majority
of people thought very highly of
him. He left South Carolina in
1850, leaving his children here.
What he did for the next few
years is uncertain, as he, in his
book, tells one tale, and many
others are told elsewhere. At all |
events he followed his inclinations,
and became a free-trader in his lit
tie vessel, which was originally in
teneded for one of the ships in the
missionary Centralian navy.
1t was at this time that he was
captured by the Dutch in Sumatra,
and imprisoned in Weltrvredcn.
His escape from the prison was in
itself a romance. He was almost
worshipped by the natives. There
was woman who did a great deal
to assist him in his escape. The
plot was laid and a vessel ready.
He had been furnished with a wo-
mans dress, aud, shaving off his
beard and changing his costume, he /
manage to pass the guards and es-
cape. This was in 1853.
He returned Immediately to An
derson, but remained only about six
months. During this visit the citi-
zens of Pendeton held meeting and
expressed their sympathy with him,
and passed resolutions asking COL
j. l.. Orr, just elected to congress,
to take the matter in hand and re-
cover damages from the Dutch.
The matter was afterward dropped.
Taking his children with him, he set
ont for Salt Lake City. He remain
ed there several years, and was
there during the civil war. From
Salt Lake he went to the, Sandwich
Islands, and his history from that
time is well known to the newspaper
reader.
Mr.. Gibson has been back once
to bis old home since he became +
prime minister. That was about
1877, and he delivered lecture in
the Masonic hall, which nearly in
luced all the young men to 90 out